Centerless grinding device



Dec. 23, 1952 w. STAHLECKER ETAL 2,622,373

CENTERLESS GRINDING DEVICE Filed De 5, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor's: w|LHE L M STAHLECHE'R AND HANS GRILL.

w. STAHLECKE'R ETAL 'CENTERLESS GRINDING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 5, 1951 .fnvemar'fi UILHELM 8TAHLECHER AN HHIfIS GRILL 8): WMAM Dec. 23, 1952 w. STAHLECKER ETAL 2,622,373

CENTERLESS GRINDING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 5, 1951 .fm emam' WILHELM STAHLECH ER ANT) 8 GRILL EY W Dec. 23, 1952 w. STAHLECKER ETAL 2,522,373

CENTERLESS GRINDING DEVICE Filed Dec. 5, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Dec. 23, 1952 CENTERLESS GRINDING DEVHJE Wilheim Stahlecker, Tubingen, and Hans Griil, Sussen, Germany Appiication December 5, 1951, Serial No. 260,016 In Germany December 6, 1950 15 Claims.

Our present invention relates to a centerless grinding device.

The grinding device of our present invention is especially suited for centerless grinding of rollers and pairs of rollers as they are employed in spinning frames.

One of the objects of our present invention is to provide a device for grinding roller-shaped bodies of simple construction comprising but inexpensive parts.

Another object of our present invention is to provide a grinding device for roller-shaped bodies which insures that said bodies receive true right circular cylindrical surfaces.

A further object of our invention is to arrange the roller-shaped bodies to be ground in such a manner that they automatically adjust themselves with their axes parallel to the axis of the driving means.

With the above objects in view, a preferred embodiment of our present invention mainly consists of a frame, a driving roller substantially horizontally arranged and adapted to drive the roller-shaped bodies when the latter are provided on top of the driving rollers with their axes being substantially parallel, driving means for driving said driving rollers, a rotating grinding disk adapted to be reciprocated along the surface of the roller-shaped bodies in a direction parallel to the axis of the driving roller, a

bracket of suitable shape, a ball-cup mounted on said frame, said bracket having at least one bearing half on one end adapted to partly embrace the axle or supporting pin or pins of said roller-shaped bodies and having a ball at its other end adapted to be received in that ball-cup, a weighting means adapted to press the rollershaped bodies on said driving roller.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of one embodiment of our present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the device according to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of a second embodiment of our present invention;

Fig. 4 is a top view of the device according to Fi 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view along line 65 of Fig. 6 showing a third embodiment of our present invention;

Fig. 6 is a top View of a third embodiment of our present invention;

Fig. 7 is an elevational view of a fourth embodiment of our present invention with a hand- I operated adjusting device;

Fig. 8 is a top view of the device according to Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of an adjusting device operated by a pressure means.

In Figs. 1 and 2 a driving roller i is rotated about its horizontal axis in the direction of the arrow A, the driving and supporting means being not shown in the drawing. A roller-shaped body 2, which is to be ground on the device according to our invention, is supported by the aforementioned driving roller and arranged with its axis parallel to the axis of said roller 1, as this may be seen in Fig. 2. Upon rotation of the driving roller l in the direction of arrow A the roller-shaped body 2 is rotated in a direction as indicated by the arrow B. The rollershaped body 2 is rotatably mounted on an axle 6, e. g., by means of ball bearings 1, however, any other type of bearing is also suitable. The two projecting end-portions it of the axle 6 are halfway embraced from above by two half-shells 8, fastened to the end of a fork 9, the latter being part of a guiding bracket 5, 9. As may be seen from Fig. 1 the fork 9 is arranged substantially in a horizontal plane with the endportions 9| being bent downwardly at right angles and fastened to the two half-shells 8 as mentioned before. The arrangement of the fork will of course be changed to some extent in accordance with the diameter of the roller 2 as the latter is ground off on the device. To the center 92 of fork 9 an arm 5 is secured, whose end-portion 93 is bent downwardly at right angles and carries a ball l at the end of this bentoff portion, said ball being supported in a ballcup II. The ball-cup is mounted on a supporting rod i2l fastened to a stationary part of the frame I! of the device.

A weight I5 is by means of a rope is suspended from an eye 5! provided on arm 5 of the grinding bracket 5, 9, said weight producing the pressure necessary for properly driving the roller 2 by means of driving roller I. The grinding wheel, whose driving and supporting arrangement is not shown in the drawing, is denoted by 3 and rotates about its axle l8.

Supporting ball i in the ball-cup ll allows the grinding bracket 5,

axis of the driving roller 1, provided of course that this roller I has a circular cylindrical surface rotating about its axis. I

The arrangement according to Figs. 1 and 2 may be equipped with a hydraulic device known.

per se, which allows of advancing either the driving roller I together with body 2- towards the grinding disk 3 or of advancing the grinding disk 3 towards the body 2. employed to automatically reciprocate the body 2 or the grinding disk 3 respectively in axial direction in a conventional manner for carrying out the grinding process. However, any other suitable device for-reciprocating the grinding disk 3 and advancing body 2 or disk 3.towards each other may be employed without departing many. way from the device accordingtoour invention. For example, as is shown in Fig. 2; drivingrolll is mounted for rotation on bearings fiii'gof theapparatus and'has fixedly mounted thereon; apulley 51 adapted to be drivenbyabeltfromany suitable source of power. The shaft i8, which carries the grinding wheel 3, is formed with splines 52' mating with the internally, splined pulley 53 which is turned byv a belt from any suitablesource of power. The: shaft l8;is mounted for rotating in the bearings. 54 .of.the apparatus and has fixedly connected thereto a ring 5 5- engagedby the shifting iorktfi which isgpivotally mounted for reciprocatingturning movement on the support 5'! of the apparatus so. that the grinding wheel 3-may be rotated about its axis byturning'ofpulley- 53 and reciprocated-in the direction of its-axis bymovement of shiftingfork 5&3.

Figs 3 -and 4 showanother.embodiment of our invention where the fork Mia-carrying, the;tw half-shells 8 is bent in such .a mannerthat it-extends underneath the grinding disk 3;arran .din

this. case between body 2 and aball-joint: At

the endof an arm- 365 fastenedtoforkjflfi; at

306;;a ball 4 is provided, said ball beingsupportedin a;ball-cup H similar tothe. arrangementv according-to-Figs. 1 and-2; The necessary pres sure between body 2 andidriving rollerl is produced in this embodiment by a: spring. 3.98; at.

tached at one end to an eye 30! of arm 3il;5; andg at its other end to a frame portion 310 of. the de vice.

Figs. 5 and 6 show an arrangement for. grind-v ing pairs of grinding rollers 402. Inv Fig, figtwo are connected by a common. axle 4061- with thehalf-shells 488 being arranged on the upper half of that partof axlesiifijprovidedbetween thegrinding rollers 462.; Since thelgri in r r 402 are arranged in pairs with an interoQnnect:

ing axle 406, it is now .possibleto provide .only one-grinding bracket 405 for each pair of grind.

ing rollers 462,.said bracket being bent in proper form so as to clearthegrindin wheel 403.. .The

downwardly bent end-portion 4010f the bracket (1851s provided with a ball 4 supported by, a bal1-,v

cup. similar tov the arrangement shown in; Figs. 1 and 2 or Figs. 3 and 4 respectively;

This device may also be- In Figs. 7 and 8 a hand-operateddevicefor ad-;

Parts identical with prior figures are designated by the same denotations. The grinding bracket 665 shows a similar form as in Figs. 3 and 4, except that the end-portion 634 is not provided with a ball-joint, but is straight-shaped, said end-portion S34 carrying a clamping-sleeve E16 slidably arranged on this portion, which may be fixedin position by a wing-screwfiflfli On the lower side of clamping-sleeve 658 a supporting rod EIS is fastened which carries a ball 4 at its end-portion, said ball being supported in a ballcup H. The latter is arranged on a threaded sleeve 6H3 adapted to be moved back and forth on a screw Hi3 suitably supported at one end in aframe-portion E35 and on the other end in a box635.

By turning. the threaded screw 513, the threaded sleeve together with ball-joint 4! I, clampingsleeve 5i Sand thus bracket 665 with body 2, may be moved back and forth. Another position of the ball-joint ail isindicated-in.dotedash-lines cor;- responding to a ground-off roller-shaped body; 2: illustrated in dot-dash-lines. Rotation ofscrew (H3; is. achieved-byturninga crank 6H), the motionbeing. transmitted through. two shafts: 6H and two pairs of bevel gears BiZrwith one-bevel gearbeing fastened to screw, B13

Advancing ,of the roller-shaped .body; 2 may; also; be-,accomplishedzby'means .of:a pressure medium as illustrated in Fig. 9 by way of.:exampie. In": this embodiment theball-cup H is fastenedto a sliding-block ,62 illslidably: arranged: in a guiding tube 622, whichis. supp0rted:at:one end'in a. frame-portion 633:;- and-at :the, other. on a ring shaped-flange; of r a-cover: 63.6; The latter 1 isat.- tached, by meansiofcscrews 621,- to.a cylinder .-625i in which ,a piston 624 fittedjwitha piston rodr62l may. reciprocate. The vpiston r0d:.62l is rigidly: attached to sliding block 620 so that themotion: of piston 624 maybe transmitted. to thesliding block 623;. and; thus,v through ball-,l-joint: 4; ll; clamping-sleeve; BIB; bracket 6fl5ito' the; rollers shaped body-.2 not-shown-in thisfigure. From: a;. valve 630; with. inlet-pipe 632 for admitting apressure medium and; with'an outlet .63! for; allow-- mg .;the pressure medium-to escape,-two pipes 628.- and 6-29 lead' to the .left and..right chambers :of thegcylinder 62.5 respectively; said I chambers .be- ;v separated :by piston 624.; By turning ;lever* 63] of :the valve .630 tothegleft :or right, the pis-.- ton.. 62fli.will be moved in left or..right directionr. desired. In: the ,center' position .of lever. 63! the piston willremainat rest.-.

Whemapiecejs groundofhbyga slight amount;

it may sufiice to only. advance :the rollereshaped: body; as. this is diagrammatically shown in the-- arrangement inFigsJ? to 9 Otherwise-it maybe. advantageous toalso advance the grinding wheel-.2

The rollereshaped bodies are'properly-"ground off: in a. right circular; cylindrical shape .when the... surface h of ,i the driving; roller hasrthei accurate: form: of :a. .right circular cylinder andruns true; The bestgrindingresults areachieved when the center of ball 4,..and the axis. of the grinding disk,: and the. roller-shaped J body .arearranged: substantially in oneplaneasthisis shown; e. .g., 1nLF1g. l or Fig- 7,; when the.dotedash-lines-areconsidered :in the latter :case.

The forces acting .on the .sguidingbracket-producing the necessary i-p'ressure between. driving roller and the roller-shaped body must be such: that the.- automatic; adjustment... of the. rollers shaped body to.a.position...with1its.axis parallelto=that of the drivinggroller is .in no. Way impeded. It is therefore best to employ a weight Lfreely suspended from the guiding bracket and to arrange the axis of the driving roller horizontally so as to prevent the production of a component force of the weight in axial direction. The weight may of course be replaced by other force generating means, e. g., a spring, as indicated in some of the embodiments of our invention.

While we have illustrated and described our invention in various embodiments, we do not intend to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of our invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of our invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence'of the following claims.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Centerless grinding device for grinding roller-shaped bodies having axles or axially arranged bearing pins protruding from said bodies comprising in combination a frame, a driving roller substantially horizontally arranged and adapted to drive said roller-shaped bodies when they are provided on top of said driving roller with their axes substantially parallel, driving means for driving said roller, a rotating grinding disk adapted to be reciprocated along the surface of the roller-shaped bodies in a direction parallel to the axis of the driving roller, a bracket of suitable shape, a ball-cup mounted on the frame, said bracket having at least one bearing half on one end adapted to partly embrace the axle or bearing pin or pins of said rollershaped bodies and having a ball at its other end adapted to be received in said ball-cup, a weighting means adapted to press the roller-shaped bodies on the driving roller.

2. Centerless grinding apparatus, comprising in combination, a driving roller mounted, on the apparatus, for rotation about its axis and being adapted to rotate the work to be ground by frictional contact therewith; a grinding wheel mounted on the apparatus and having an axis of rotation located to one side of and at a different elevation than the axis of said driving roller; elongated work holding means for holding the work on said driving roller and against said grinding wheel, said work holding means having one end located in vertical alignment with said driving roller and adjacent to said grinding wheel and an opposite end distant from said one end; bearing means fixedly mounted on said one end of said work holding means to engage the work to be ground while permitting the same to be rotated by said driving roller; ball and socket means fixedly connected to said opposite end of said work holding means to support the latter for universal movement; and pressure means operatively connected to said work holding means to urge said one end thereof toward said driving roller so as to press the work against said driving roller to be rotated thereby.

3. Centerless grinding apparatus, comprising in combination, a driving roller horizontally mounted, on the apparatus, for rotation about its axis and being adapted to rotate the Work to be ground by frictional contact therewith; a grinding wheel mounted on the apparatus and having an axis of rotation parallel to, located to one side of and at a different elevation than said driving roller; elongated work holding means for holding the work on said driving roller and against said grinding wheel, said work holding means having one end located in vertical alignment with said driving roller and adjacent to said grinding wheeland an opposite end distant from said one end; bearing means fixedly mounted on said one end of said work holding means to engage the work to be ground while permitting the same to be rotated by said driving roller; ball and socket means fixedly connected to said opposite end of said work holding means to support the latter for universal movement, said ball and socket means being located in a horizontal plane which includessaid axis of rotation of said grinding wheel; and pressure mean operatively conneoted to said work holding means to urge said one end thereof toward said driving roller so as to press the work against said driving roller to be rotated thereby.

4. Centerless grinding apparatus, comprising in combination, a driving roller horizontally mounted, on the apparatus, for rotation about its axis and being adapted to rotate the work to be ground by frictional contact therewith; a grinding wheel mounted on the apparatus and having an axis of rotation parallel to, located to one side of and at a different elevation than said driving roller; elongated work holding means for holding the work on said driving roller and against said grinding wheel, said work holding means having one end located in vertical alignment with said driving roller and adjacent to said grinding wheel and an opposite end distant from said one end; bearing means fixedly mounted'on said one end of said work holding means to engage the work to be ground while permitting the same to be rotated by said driving roller; ball and socket means fixedly connected to said opposite end of said work holding means to support the latter for universal movement, said ball and socket means being located in a horizontal plane which includes said axis of rotation of said grinding wheel; and spring means operatively connected to said work holding means to urge said one end thereof toward said driving roller so as to press the work against said driving roller to be rotated thereby.

5. Centerless grinding apparatus, comprising in combination, a driving roller horizontally mounted, on the apparatus, forrotation about its axis and being adapted to rotate the work to be ground by frictional contact therewith; a grinding wheel mounted on the apparatus and having an axis of rotation parallel to, located to one side of and above the axis of said driving roller; elongated work holding means for holding the work on said driving roller and against said grinding wheel, said work holding means having one end located over said driving roller and adjacent to said grinding wheel and an opposite end distant from said one end; bearing means fixedly mounted on said one end of said work holding means to engage the work to be ground while permitting the same to be rotated by said driving roller; beall and socket means fixedly connected to said opposite end of said work holding means to support the latter for universal movement, said ball and socket means being located in a horizontal plane which includes said 7 axis of rotationof said grinding wheel; and pres sure means operatively connected to said work holding means tourgesaidone end thereof toward said driving roller so as to press the work against said driving roller to be rotated thereby. 6. Centerless grindingapparatus as defined in claim 5' and'whe'rein said pressuremeans is'in the 10-; Centerless grinding apparatus, comprising in combination, a driving roller horizontally mounted, on the apparatus, for rotation about its axis and being adapted to rotate the work to be ground by frictional contact therewith; agrindingwheel mounted onthe apparatus and havingan'a-xis of rotation parallel to, located-to one side of'and above the axis of said driving roller; elongated work holdingmeans forholding the work on said driving roller and against said grinding Wheel, said work holding-means having one end located over' said driving roller and adjacent to said grindingwheel andan opposite end distant from said one end'; bearing means fixedly mounted'on'said oneen'd of said work holding means to engage the work to be ground while permitting the same to 'berotated by said driving rolleryball and socket means fixedly connected to said opposite end of said work holding means to support the latter for universal movement, said ball and socket means being located in a horizontal plane whichinclude's said axis of rotationof said grinding'wheel; pressuremeans op-" eratively connected to said work holding means to urgesaid one end thereof toward said driving roller-so as to press the work" against said driv ing roller to be" rotated thereby; and" moving means operatively connectedto saidwork hold ing' means for 'moving'said one end thereof toward-said'grindin'g wheel. I

11. Centerless g1-indin'g*apparatus; comprising in combination, a driving roller horizontally mounted, on the apparatus, for rotation about its axis'and being adapted to rotate'theiwork to be ground by frictionalcontact therewith; a, grinding wheel mounted on the'apparatu and having an axis of rotation parallelto, located to one side of and above th'axis of said driving roller; elon-' gated work holdingmeansfor holding the work on said *driving 'roller and against said grinding wheel, said work holdingmeans havingone end located over said-driving roller and adjacent to' said grinding wheel and an opposite end distant fromsaid' one end; bearing means fixedly mounted on said one endofsaid' work-holding means to engage the work 'to be ground while permitting the same to berotated' by'said driving roller; ball andsocket meansfixedly connected to said opposite end of said work' holding means to support the latter foruniversal movement, said ball and socket means being located in a "hori-' zontal plane which'inoludes said axis of rotation of" said grinding wheel: pressure means opera tively connected tosaid workfholding means to urge said one end thereof toward said driving roller so as to pressthework against said'driv ing roller to be rotated thereby; and screw means: operatively connected to saidwork holding meansfor moving said one end" thereof toward said grinding wheel.

12. Centerless grinding apparatus, comprisingin combination, a driving roller horizontally mounted, on the apparatus, for rotation about 'its" axisand'being-adapted to rotate the work to'be ground'by frictional'contact therewith; a grind ingwheel mounted on theapparatusand having? an axis of rotationparallel-to; located to oneside of and above the axis of; said driving roller; elongated work holding meansior holding the work on said driving roller and against said grinding Wheel, said work holding meansha'v'ing one end located over; said driving roller and adja cent'to said grinding Wheel and anOppoSite' end; distant from said one end; bearingmeans fix'ed ly mounted on said'one endof said workholding" means to engage the work to be ground while permitting the same to be rotated'by said driif ing roller; ball and socket mean fixedly can:

nested to said'opposite end of said work holding means to support the latter for universal movement, said ball and socket means b'eing located in a horizontal plane which includes saidaxis' of rotation of said grinding wheel;

means operatively connected to said work holding means to urge saidone end thereof toward said driving roller so as to press the Workagainst" said driving roller to be rotated thereby; and hydraulic means operatively' connected to said work holding means for moving said one end thereof toward said grinding wheel. 7 I

13. Work holding apparatus for holding work to be ground in a centerle'ss grinder, comprising in combination, an elongated member having a central portion formed from two legs, one of said legs'being perpendicular to the other'of said legs and having an end fixed to said other leg at a 'centralportion of the latter so that said central portion of said member is T- sha'ped, apa'ir'of' additional legs respectivelyextending from the extremities of said other leg in a" direction away from said one leg, each of said pairof additional legs "having an outer free bent end portion sub stantially forming a right angle with theremainder'of said additional leg and said oneleg having afreeend portion located at the oppositeend" thereof from said otherlegand being bentfronr the remainder of said one leg, said free end portion 01" said one leg being parallel to" said 'free" end p'ortions of said additional legs; apair of arcuate bearingpl'ates respectively fixed to said" free end portionsof'said pair ofadditional legs and each having abearing surface'in' the form "of 'a'half cylinder; and aball, of a ball-and socket" joint, fixedly connected-'tosaid free end portion" 1%. Work homing ap a atus for holdingwork" to" be ground in a centerless grinder and comprising in combination,a"U-shaped portion'having a ing from one end of 'oneflof said first'legsto one" end of the other of said first legs; apair of second legs respectively'extending in the same direc= -tion from an end of each of said first legs'opposite'to said oneend thereof, said second legsbe ing parallel to each other, perpendicular to said first legs,"and eachha'ving an end'located distant fromsaid first legs: a' pair of third legs respec-'. tively'extendingirom said'ends of said setond" pressure legs, being perpendicular thereto and parallel to each other and said first legs, each of said third legs having an end located distant from said second legs; a pair of fourth legs respectively extending from said third legs, being perpendicular thereto and parallel to each other and said second legs, each of said fourth legs having a free end located distant from said third legs; a pair of arcuate bearing plates respectively fixed to said free ends of said fourth legs and each having a hearing surface in the form of a half cylinder; an elongated arm connected at one end thereof to a central part of said cross leg and being perpendicular thereto, said arm being parallel to said third legs and having an end located distant from said cross leg; a fifth leg extending from said end of said arm and being perpendicular thereto, said fifth leg being parallel to said second legs and extending in the same direction as the latter, and said fifth leg having an end located distant from said arm; a sixth leg extending from said end of said fifth leg, being perpendicular thereto and parallel to said arm, said sixth leg having an end located distant from said fifth leg; a seventh leg extending from said end of said sixth leg, being perpendicular thereto and parallel to said fifth leg, said seventh leg having a free end; and a ball, of a ball and socket joint, fixed to said free end of said seventh leg.

15. Work holding apparatus for holding work in a centerless grinder and comprising in combination, a pair of opposite spaced arms substantially located in a straight line and each having an inner end and an outer end, said inner ends of said arms being located nearer to each other than said outer ends thereof; a substantially U- shaped member interconnecting said arms, said U-shaped member having a pair of opposite legs perpendicular to said arms and each having an end connected to one of said inner ends of said arms; an arcuate bearing plate fixedly connected to one of said arms adjacent a central part thereof, said bearing plate having a bearing surface in the form of a half cylinder; and a ball, of a ball and socket joint, fixed to said outer end of the other of said arms.

WILHELM STAHLECKER. HANS GRILL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 342,125 Neff May 18, 1886 547,430 Hartley Oct. 8, 1895 1,496,830 Roush June 10, 1924 1,879,110 Cramer Sept. 27, 1932 2,418,871 Danielson Apr. 15, 1947 2,439,303 Indge Apr. 6, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 567,711 Germany June 20, 1931 

